Bornstein vinoteka5/16/2023 ![]() ![]() Above the shop’s lone desktop computer is a map, hand-painted by a local artist, that depicts Croatia’s wine regions in vivid yellows, greens and pinks. Zagreb falls at the converging point of the cool but humid Zagorje, Plešivica and Prigorje wine sub regions of the Croatian uplands, making it central to many vineyards. Samek distinguishes several of the hundreds of bottles that line the walls, pointing out Purger (Zagreb local) favorites such as Korać, Tomac and Šember. Samek always keeps several bottles open and ready to pour for curious visitors. Merlot streams into a shiny glass at the tip of her steady hand as she lists other shops in the area. She mentions Bornstein Wine Bar and Shop, a name inevitably referenced in conversation about wine in Zagreb. Borsnteins, being the first private wine shop in the entire region of former Yugoslavia, is synonymous with the up-and-coming wine scene in the city and the country as a whole. Owners Ivan and Doris Srpek recognized the importance of the name when they took over the business four years ago. Srepk details that “the name was already a brand that stood for quality, service and education.” Bornsteins occupies a 200-year-old cellar with vaulted brick ceilings and dark wood floors in upper town. The building has the air of a timeworn library, each wine bottle containing a story as rich with history and culture as any book. The Srpeks, curators of these bottled stories, serve as interpreters to inquisitive travelers. ![]() Their deeply imbedded knowledge of the industry and close ties with domestic vineyards allow newcomers to cultivate an understanding of Zagreb’s wine culture. Srpek sips a red with patrons as he discusses various Plavac Mali varieties. ![]()
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